Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

यस्मिन्स्नातो दिने चैव तस्य व्युष्टिः प्रकीर्तिता । अल्पायुषस्तदा मर्त्याः कृतेऽपि परिकीर्तिताः

Transliteration

yasminsnāto dine caiva tasya vyuṣṭiḥ prakīrtitā | alpāyuṣastadā martyāḥ kṛte'pi parikīrtitāḥ

Translation

人が沐浴の行（スナーナ）をなしたその日には、それに応じた「ヴュシュティ」（数えられる日・守戒の期）が定められる。されどその時、人々は努力してもなお短命であると説かれる。

Word by Word

• यस्मिन्: in which (day)
• यस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• स्नातः: having bathed
• स्नातः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु) → स्नात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (Past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्तरि प्रयोगे ‘having bathed’

• दिने: on the day
• दिने: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), एकवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारण-अव्ययम् (emphatic particle)

• तस्य: of that (day)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• व्युष्टिः: the dawn/that daybreak (as a measure)
• व्युष्टिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्युष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्

• प्रकीर्तिता: is proclaimed/declared
• प्रकीर्तिता: Karma (Predicate/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कीर्त् (धातु) → प्रकीर्तित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (Past passive participle/क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्मणि—‘is proclaimed’

• अल्पायुषः: short-lived
• अल्पायुषः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अल्प + आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• तदा: then/at that time
• तदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (temporal adverb)

• मर्त्याः: mortals/humans
• मर्त्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), बहुवचनम्

• कृते: in the Kṛta (Satya) age
• कृते: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), एकवचनम्; युगनाम

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षा-अव्ययम् (also/even)

• परिकीर्तिताः: are described/said to be
• परिकीर्तिताः: Karma (Predicate/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + कीर्त् (धातु) → परिकीर्तित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्तः (Past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; कर्मणि—‘are described’

Speaker

Ṛṣayaḥ (continuing)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūtanandana / Śaunaka-group (Naimiṣāraṇya setting implied by address)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A weary pilgrim counting days of observance, looking at a diminishing lifespan, while sacred rivers and distant tīrthas appear as far horizons—suggesting the tension between aspiration and limitation.

Characters & Entities

• Vyuṣṭi (technical observance term)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Because life is short, one should value each sacred act—each day of tīrtha-snāna is meaningful, yet time limits human capacity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The statement applies to the ongoing Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra tīrtha context rather than naming a single ford.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna is central; the verse also alludes to a counted observance/day-unit (vyuṣṭi) tied to the bathing day.